The Fantastic Voyage (Puerto Rico)

Life Science: Puerto Rico : Life Science: Puerto Rico Name: Miss Román Voyage of the Sweet Duchess Crew: Mrs. Camacho Mrs. Delgado Mrs. Alger Mrs. Rothfeld
Native Animals : Native Animals Coqui Named for the “coqui” sound that the males make at night. Born a fully formed “froglet”. Eats flies,mosquitoes, arachnids, centipedes, and millipedes. Puerto Rican Amazon Used to inhabit the entire island; now, they live in El Yunque National Forest. A threatened species. Eats the seeds of the tabonuco tree and the leaves of the laurel magnolia.
Non-native Animals : Non-native Animals Caiman Eat fish, snails, lizards, turtles, large snakes, frogs, and small mammals. Inhabit any kind of freshwater body, as long as it is warm. Responsible for introducing the parasite known as "caiman “tongueworm" which is infecting local fish. Cattle Egret Live in areas populated by other species Able to over-crowd and out-compete native birds for nesting areas. Feed on insects like grasshoppers, crickets, flies and moths.
Native Plants : Native Plants Laurel Sabino The laurel sabino is a plant that is found nowhere else in the world except the El Yunque rain forest. The plant lives with vines and airplants on trees. Its leaves are also a food source for the Puerto Rican Amazon. Tabonuco Tree The tabonuco tree is the most common tree found in the El Yunque rain forest. They can reach heights of 100 feet in length. It is an important habitat and food source of the Puerto Rican Amazon. The destruction of the tabonuco is a likely cause of the Puerto Rican Amazon’s decline.
Non-native Plants : Non-native Plants Madeira Vine This plant is a climbing vine. The large leaves and thick vines make it a very heavy plant. It can smother trees and other vegetation it grows on. It can easily break branches or even bring down an entire tree on its own. It is very difficult to control. Water Hyacinth Water Hyacinth originally comes from South America. It is considered to be one of the worst aquatic weeds in the world. It is a fast growing plant, with its populations known to double in as few as 12 days. It chokes up waterways and prevents oxygen from reaching other plants.
Ecosystems and Resources : Ecosystems and Resources Puerto Rico has over 50 rivers, most of them originating in the Cordillera Central. Rivers in the northern area of the island are longer and have higher water flow rates than rivers in the south. This is because the south receives less rain than the central and northern regions of Puerto Rico. These rivers are currently seeing a problem in the form of the water hyacinth. The water hyacinth is a common sight in the rivers and it clogs up the waterways. This poses a problem because it limits boat traffic, swimming and fishing. It also blocks sunlight and oxygen from reaching the water column and plants that are submerged. Its shading and crowding of native aquatic plants dramatically reduces the diversity in the aquatic ecosystems of Puerto Rico
Ecosystems and Resources : Ecosystems and Resources El Yunque National Forest, where the Puerto Rican Amazon lives is a tropical rain forest. The top layer of a tropical rain forests is called the canopy. Many of the animals that live in El Yunque live in the canopy, such as the Puerto Rican Amazon. The birds can often be found in the branches of a tabonuco tree, eating the seeds. Up to 240 inches of rain per year have been recorded on the higher peaks. At El Yunque, more than 100 billion gallons of rainwater falls per year. It is said to rain at least 4 times a day, so there is never a shortage of water or plants to eat.
Graph: Largest Cities in Puerto Rico (by Population) : Graph: Largest Cities in Puerto Rico (by Population)
Conclusion : Conclusion I have learned that Puerto Rico is a land that has a very diverse ecosystem with hundreds of different species. Puerto Rico’s tropical rainforest is under strict protection to ensure the safety of endangered plants and animals that are unique to that area. The Puerto Rican Amazon and the Laurel Sabino are just two examples of plants or animals that are only found in El Yunque. I have also learned that Puerto Rico’s rivers are in danger. The fish and underwater plants are being smothered by the water hyacinth, which can block out sunlight and oxygen. The caiman has affected the ecosystem by introducing the “caiman tongueworm” parasite which can poison the fish.
References : References El yunque. (n.d.). El yunque tropical rain forest. Retrieved February 18, 2009, from Boricua Kids Web site: http://www.elboricua.com/BoricuaKids_ElYunque.html Geography. (n.d.). Puerto rico geography. Retrieved February 18, 2009, from Welcome to Puerto Rico Web site: http://welcome.topuertorico.org/geogra.shtml The Mountain Hikes. (n.d.). Gorp- El yunque, puerto rico- The mountain hikes. Retrieved February 18, 2009, from GORP Web site: http://gorp.away.com/gorp/publishers/menasha/hik_elyu.htm Mowbray, A. (n.d.). Grass coqui, shrub coqui (Eng.), coqui de las yerbas (Sp.), eleutherodactylus brittoni (Sci.), native, puerto rico. In El yunque national forest- Wildlife facts. Retrieved January 1, 2007, from US Forest Service, El Yunque Web site: http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/caribbean/wildlife-facts/2007/wildlife-facts-january-2007.shtml The Puerto Rican Parrot. (n.d.). El yunque national forest- The puerto rican parrot. Retrieved February 17, 2009, from US Forest Service, El Yunque Web site: http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/caribbean/pr-parrot/index.shtml Puerto Rico. (n.d.). Global invasive species database. Retrieved February 18, 2009, from Nature Photo Web site: http://www.invasivespecies.net State plant listings. (n.d.). Puerto rico- Plant and resource lists. Retrieved February 18, 2009, from U.S. Department of Transporation, Federal Highway Administration Web site: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/rdsduse/pr.htm

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